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HAZLETON, Penn. — On Tuesday, former Republican presidential candidate Alan Keyes officially announced his split with the Republican Party, at a press conference held in Hazleton, PA.

Saying the Republican Party "has become a dark and confusing place," and "there are clear signs that our leaders no longer have an allegiance to the sovereign people of the United States," Keyes added that he is considering running for president on the Constitution Party ticket in the 2008 general election.

The city of Hazleton made news for taking a firm stand against illegal immigration when it passed the Illegal Immigration Relief Act in 2006.

A life-long Republican, Keyes was a diplomat in the Reagan administration who served as Assistant Secretary of State for International Organizations, Ambassador to the United Nations Economic and Social Council, and staff member of the National Security Council.

HAZLETON, Penn. — Former Republican presidential candidate Alan Keyes has chosen April 15 to make a major announcement of his intentions, following indications he has broken with the GOP.

A life-long Republican who has increasingly cited the party's failure to match conservative rhetoric with actual performance in the political arena, Keyes said he will reveal his reasons for departing the GOP at a press conference scheduled for 8:30 pm ET, at the Best Western Genetti Inn in Hazleton, PA.

The event will be video-streamed live at Keyes' website.

Keyes added that he is looking to the Constitution Party as a possible home for his future efforts in politics, including a potential run for president in the 2008 general election.

"No other 'third party' is as well-established as the Constitution Party," said Keyes. "They've been around since 1992, and have built a significant grassroots presence among patriotic, Constitution-minded citizens — with a registered membership of over 350,000. Conservatives have a home in the CP that they can find nowhere else, given the decline in the Republican Party's credibility as a voice and vehicle for conservatism."

Regarding his potential third-party candidacy for president in the fall, Keyes said, "I believe people deserve a choice. They certainly deserve a conservative choice — something neither John McCain, Hillary Clinton, nor Barack Obama can offer voters. All they can offer is empty promises based on liberal track records."

Symbolic of Keyes' break with the Republican Party is a caricature of the GOP logo — upside down — on the front page of his website.

The Constitution Party will hold its nominating convention April 23-26 in Kansas City.

According to Dan Smeriglio, a Keyes supporter who is helping to arrange the event, the former Reagan administration diplomat chose to make his announcement in Hazleton because of the town's strong stance on illegal immigration.

"I understand a good portion of his speech next week will center on illegal immigration," Smeriglio said. Smeriglio and a group he represents, Voice of the People USA, have been vocal in opposing illegal immigration since Hazleton Mayor Lou Barletta introduced the Illegal Immigration Relief Act in 2006 — thrusting Hazleton into national prominence in the movement to stem illegal immigration.

Keyes — who has a Ph.D. in government from Harvard and wrote his dissertation on constitutional theory — served as Reagan's Assistant Secretary of State for International Organizations, as well as Ambassador to the United Nations Economic and Social Council, where he represented U.S. interests in the UN General Assembly.

On Friday, Sept. 14, Alan Keyes filed a Statement of Candidacy (Form 2) with
the Federal Election Commission--thus officially announcing as a Republican
candidate for President of the United States.

Keyes told Janet Parshall, host of a nationally syndicated radio show, that
he's "unmoved" by the lack of moral courage shown by the other candidates, among
whom he sees no standout who articulates the "key kernel of truth that must,
with courage, be presented to our people."

He added, "The one thing I've always been called to do is to raise the
standard . . . of our allegiance to God and His authority that has been the
foundation stone of our nation's life"--and he decried the lack of "forthright,
clear, and clarion declaration" from the other candidates concerning this issue.

As a result, Keyes said, "We're putting together an effort that's not going
to be like anything before, because it's going to be entirely based on citizen
action. We're going to be challenging people to take a pledge for America's
revival," and elevate them from spectators in the political arena to
participants.

The former Reagan diplomat ran previously for president in 1996 and 2000.
During the 1996 race, he was widely credited with forcing abortion to the center
of public policy debate. In 2000, he was acknowledged by commentators at Fox
News, MSNBC, and CNN as the winner of the Republican presidential primary
debates. In that election, he continued his prior focus on America's moral
crisis, and also made abolishing the income tax a serious question for
policy-makers.

This election cycle, Keyes has already significantly influenced the debate,
according to some observers, who note that at least a few of the GOP candidates
appear intent on imitating some of Keyes' well-known positions, in an effort to
woo moral conservatives--without which no Republican is likely to win in the
general election.

As a prelude to running, prior to making up his mind to announce, Keyes has
been writing a series of essays on the 2008 election titled "The Crisis of the
Republic"--published at RenewAmerica and disseminated by several other
outlets. A common theme of the articles is the need to restore personal
sovereignty that is based in religious premises and self-discipline, if American
society is to survive in liberty.